Jay Bouwmeester Is A Flame

 Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter proved once again that he isn’t afraid to take chances if it will bring his hockey club that much closer to lifting a Stanley Cup. Sutter has proven all through his tenure as a GM that he is not afraid to pull the trigger on a gamble that can help his team. His first such bold move took place a couple of summers back when he brought in veteran coach Mike Keenan who has a reputation for being tough on players but at the same time someone who gets results. Even though he has a reputation for not being well liked Keenan has an impressive track record shown by a 1994 Stanley Cup ring from his days of coaching the New York Rangers and also leading Team Canada to a Canada Cup victory over the Russians in 1987. Hiring Keenan didn’t get the desired results but that didn’t stop Sutter from making more bold moves to try and get the Flames on top. At last year’s trade deadline Sutter acquired an elite offensive player from the Phoenix Coyotes in veteran Olli Jokinen for the steep price of a first round draft choice and Matthew Lombardi. The idea was to put Jokinen on the same line with captain and leading goal scorer Jarome Iginla.  He notched 15 points in 19 games with the Flames and despite scoring a respectable five points in six first round playoff games, he couldn’t prevent Calgary from losing to the young Chicago Blackhawks. Last week Sutter made another bold move and was the talk around the hockey circles when he in acquired the rights to negotiate with former Florida Panthers number one defenceman Jay Bouwmeester. To the excitement of all Calgary fans this gamble, which easily could have backfired did not as Sutter was able to sign Bouwmeester to a five- year deal worth 6.68 million per season. In adding this Alberta native who registered 15 goals and 42 points last season the Flames now have without question one of the most dynamic blue line in the NHL with guys like Dion Phaneuf Robin Regehr and of course Bouwmeester. In making this move for the defenceman Sutter had to surrender another blue liner in Jordan Leopold and a third round pick.

This latest gamble for what Sutter referred to as an elite defenceman is another reason why Calgary Flames fans are in good hands in having a general manager who will do anything to bring a Stanley Cup to Calgary.